Retrieving tool



June 11, 1 968 c. CHRlSTODOLU RETRIEVING TOOL Filed May 15, 1967 CONSTANT/#05 (WP/570001 0 INVENTOR.

197'7'0R/VEY 3,387,877 RETRIEVING TOOL Constantiuos Christodolu, 5808 Audubon, Detroit, Mich. 48224 Filed May 15, 1967, Ser. No. 638,375 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-509) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application discloses a tool for retrieving articles inadvertently dropped into the trap of a sanitary sewer or drain pipe. The device embodying the invention consists of a pair of elongated handles, with jaws thereon. One of the handles is fixed, and the other handle is pivotally mounted, at one end to linkage secured to the fixed handle, and to one jaw, and is slidably mounted, at the opposite end to said fixed handle. There being means for remotely adjusting the non-fixed jaw with reference to the fixed jaw, and means for locking said jaws in predetermined positions.

This invention relates to hand tools and has particular reference to a tool for retrieving'articles inadvertently dropped into the trap of a sanitary sewer or a drain pipe, or the like.

The traps of sanitary sewers and drain pipes are gen erally located below the basement floor, or in constructions having no basement, such traps are often located outside of the foundation walls. Traps located outside of the foundation walls are oftentimes the target of pop bottles, balls, stones and other items which are thrown by mischievous children. Traps located below the basement floors aften receive pieces of jewelry, or other objects inadvertently dropped into toilet bowls and the like. Many of such traps are located from three to six feet below the trap opening, consequently it is difficult to remove such objects from the traps.

When the traps are located out of doors often it becomes necessary to dig up the lawn or driveway, so that access may be had to the trap.

It is an object, therefore, of this invention to obviate the foregoing difiiculties and to provide a hand tool for retrieving any type of object from such a trap. The tool embodying the invention is so versatile that it will retrieve objects as thin as a dime and as thick as a bottle, or a baseball, or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character indicated, which is constructed with a pair of concave jaws, One of which is narrower than the other and having its edges received within the edges of the other.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool of the character indicated, which is constructed with a pair of concave shovel like jaws, the leading ends of which are serrated to provide gripping action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character indicated, which is constructed with a tubular handle, to which is fixed a concave jaw, there being a second smaller tubular handle connected, by pivotable linkage, to said fixed handle, said linkage having a second, but smaller, concave jaw secured thereto. Said second handle having a curved portion, slidably received in an opening in said fixed handle remote from said jaws.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a tool of the character indicated, having a pair of handles, one of which is slidable with respect to the other, with means for locking said handles in various degrees of adjustment with respect to each other.

Another object of the inventon is to generally improve devices of the character indicated, and to provide a tool States Patent which is simple in construction, economical to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being made from time to time to the accompanying drawing, forming part of the within disclosure, in which drawing:

FIG. 1 is a vertical section taken through the corner of a building, which is equipped with a sewer system, which has an outside trap in which is positioned a device embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of the device embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, with the device rotated from the position shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 4-4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be understood that in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference character 7 indicates the basement wall, and the reference character 8 indicates the basement floor of a building in which is installed a sanitary sewer pipe 9, which extends through the basement floor 8 and into the earth 1! The sewer pipe 9 has a trap 11 positioned therein, which trap has a standpipe 12, which extends above the level of the ground 10 and is provided with an opening 13.

The foregoing elements comprise no part of the invention, except as they are combined with, or used in connection with the device embodying the invention.

In FIG. 1, I show the device embodying the invention, which is generally indicated by the reference character 14, as being received in the opening 13 of the standpipe 12, and extending into the trap 11, where it is in the proccss of retrieving a lost article 15, which may be a piece of jewelry, or other article which has inadvertently passed into the trap 11 from the pipe 9.

The device 14 embodying the invention consists of a pair of handles 16 and 17. The handle 16 is a tubular member approximately six feet in length and has mounted at its lower end a concave, dish like jaw 18, which is secured to a flattened portion of the handle 16 by bolts and nuts 19, or other suitable means.

The lower end of the handle 17 is pivoted, as at 20, to a curved arm 21, the other end of which arm 21 is pivoted, as at 22, to the handle 16. The arm 21 has, a slot 21A in which is received the pivot pin 22. A second, but larger, concave jaw 23 (FIG. 5) is secured by bolts and nuts 24, or other suitable means, to the free end of the arm 21.

The marginal edges of the concave jaw 18 are arranged to be received within the edges of the jaw 23, so that the jaws when entirely closed will serve in the nature of a bucket, whereby sand, stones and the like, may be removed from the trap with the device.

In FIGS. 1 and 5, I illustrate the device being used to retrieve a piece of jewelry 15, which is clamped between the lower edges of the jaws 18 and 23. I prefer to serrate the lower edges of the jaws 18 and 23, so that they may better grip an article, such as the article 15 which is being retrieved.

The upper end of the handle 16 (FIG. 4) is provided with a slot 25, in which is slidably received the curved portion 26 of the handle 17.

An externally threaded member 28 is threadedly received in the end 29 of the handle 17, and extends beyond the end of the handle 16. A wing nut 30- is received on the threaded member 28 and is used for holding the 3 handle 17 in various degrees of adjustment with respect to the handle 16.

The end 29 of the handle 17 is slotted, as at 31, which slot has received therein a pin 32, which extends through the handle 17 and the walls of the handle 16, which slot and pin help hold the handles assembled and limit their relative movement.

Both of the handles 16 and 17 are provided with lateral bores 33, which are arranged to have received therein a locking pin 34, which is carried on a chain 35. The pin 34 is used to lock the handles against relative movement during certain operations of retrieving.

The device operates as follows: the free end of the handle 17 is first pulled away from the end of the handle 16 and the jaws 18-23 are opened a sutficient distance, so that they will just clear the inside walls of the standpipe 12.

The device is then lowered into the standpipe 12 and the trap 11. The walls of the pipe serve as guides for the jaws. The jaw 18 will strike the bottom of the trap 11 first, inasmuch as it is slightly larger than the jaw 23, and secondly, because the jaw 23 is mounted at the end of the arm 21, which has a slot 21A therein, which receives the pivot pin 22 to give the arm and the jaw 23 a slight longitudinal movement under the influence of the handle 17. The free end of the handle 17 is then forced downwardly until the pivoted jaw 23 is brought into contact with the fixed jaw 18, or the article being retrieved. If the article, or element, being retrieved is small enough to be received inside the closed jaws, the handles 16 and 1'7, and the jaws, may be locked together by using the pin 34. If the article being retrieved is large, such as a ball or bottle, the jaws may be held against the article by setting the wing nut 30 to prevent relative movement of the handles. The handles also may be squeezed together by the hands to put pressure on the jaws during the retrieving operation.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A retrieving tool comprising a pair of elongated.

handles, one of which is fixed and the other movable, a concave jaw secured to said fixed handle, an arm pivoted at one end to said fixed handle and pivoted intermediate its ends to said movable handle, a concave jaw secured to the opposite end of said arm and arranged to cooperate a with said first named jaw, and means to adjust the relativ movement between said handles, said fixed handle having a cut out section and said movable handle having an offset portion slidable in said cut out and said offset portion having a longitudinal slot therein, in which slot there is received a pin which extends through both said handles. 2. A retrieving tool comprising a pair of elongated handles, one of which is fixed and the other movable, a concave jaw secured to said fixed handle, an arm pivoted at one end of said fixed handle and pivoted intermediate its ends to said movable handle, a concave jaw secured to the opposite end of said arm and arranged to cooperate with said first named jaw, and means to adjust the relative movement between said handles, said fixed handle having a cut out section and said movable handle having an offset portion slidable in said cut out, said fixed handle and said movable handle having alignable bores in the area of said cut out and side offset, in which bores is received a pin for locking said handles against relative movement.

3. A retrieving tool comprising a pair of elongated handles, one of which is fixed and the other movable, a concave jaw secured to said fixed handle, an arm pivoted at one end to said fixed handle and pivoted intermediate its ends to said movable handle, a concave jaw secured to the opposite end of said arm and arranged to cooperate with said first named jaw, and means to adjust the relative movement between said handles, said pivoted arm being slotted and the pivot pin for said arm being received therein, whereby to give limited longitudinal movement to the jaw mounted on said arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,082,547 12/1913 Nuttall 29450.9 3,265,429 8/1966 Shatt 294-104 3,276,805 10/1966 Lambert 294-19 FOREIGN PATENTS 24,184 11/1908 Great Britain.

RlCl-IARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner.

v R. D. GU-IOD, Assistant Examiner. 

